If you know anything about Magic Johnson and his social media activity, you’ll know that his Tweets are notorious for being vague and incredibly mundane.
As recently as Tuesday evening, Magic Johnson was up to his old tricks again, tweeting out some advice on how the Lakers can turn their season around.
Here’s what he wrote:
If the Lakers are going to turn their season around there are 3 things they must do on defense. First, they must play better individual defense. Second, play better team defense and third, transition. They must improve their transition defense!
If the @Lakers are going to turn their season around there are 3 things they must do on defense. First, they must play better individual defense. Second, play better team defense and third, transition. They must improve their transition defense!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) December 7, 2021
Essentially, Magic thinks the Lakers need to play better on defense. Of course, the way he decided to write that had the whole community cracking jokes:
https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1468345279636119552
I think there’s also 3 things they should do on offense. First they must play better individual offense. Second they must play better team offense. Third, they should win games.
— Lauren J in the BigXII (@thespinzone) December 7, 2021
So what you saying is they need play better defense?
— Tyson Nguyen (@moviebruin) December 7, 2021
And if the Lakers want to win games then they have to score more points than the opponent!
— HR (idc anymore) (@hell2nd0) December 8, 2021
…. play better defense. How did they not think of that. Magic should be a GM or something
— Jared Minzel (@JaredMinzel) December 7, 2021
Interestingly enough, we actually do have more information on how Magic’s tweet process works. Apparently, it is not even him writing them out.
“I have new and breaking news. Last night, I found out that Magic Johnson does not physically do any of the tweets, which may explain some of it,” Lowe said, via Jacob Rude of Silver Screen & Roll. “So it’s articulated clearly across the room or while he’s doing 17 other things — a titan of the industry — and then there is a woman whose job is to figure out what he’s talking about and make it into a tweet. That’s the latest wrinkle which I think might warrant some further explanation.”
“I think he doesn’t say ‘send tweet’ so she never knows when it’s ending so you get what you get,” Lowe continued. “I can promise here’s what it’s not. ‘Hey, hello, I have an idea for a tweet. Are you ready? Lakers look very stiff tonight, period. Perhaps they need a change in the lineup, period. Send that.’ I don’t think that’s happening.”
Whatever the case, there is some truth to Magic’s words. Defense is what delivered the Lakers the title in 2020. Since that victory, the team has seen a sharp decline in performance on that end of the floor.
This season, they’re second-to-last in opponent points per game and just 15th in Defensive Rating.
If L.A. ever wants to return to the NBA Finals, they’re going to have to get better at stopping their opponents. Perhaps Magic’s latest string of wisdom will help them get there.
